Resident's comment prompts West Haven council to call police

WEST HAVEN >> Call them "crooks." Call them "liars." But don't use what some could take as threatening language.

That's the message some City Council members want to get out after a resident spoke during public comment session at Monday's meeting about his name being on a lien sale list. Chairman Stephen DeCrescenzo and at-large member Thomas McCarthy on Wednesday asked a police sergeant to speak with the resident, but are not filing a formal complaint.

DeCrescenzo and McCarthy are taking issue with the last portion of resident Michael Hickey's comment, in which he said, "I will come after the city with both barrels blasting. End of my discussion. And I will be sitting here until I hear it."

Hickey says he was simply using an old phrase and meant he wants to expose city issues. He'd had been airing frustrations about his experience of paying January taxes late and remaining on a list of liens officials were approving for sale last Monday night, despite paying on May 8 taxes and a fee to remove his name from the document.

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He said he wanted his name taken off the list. Officials said the list is updated right before the sale closes since more people will pay in the next few weeks.

According to McCarthy, a council member talked about feeling nervous about Hickey's statement. McCarthy said "out of an abundance of caution," DeCrescenzo talked to an officer.

"We've never said a word when he's called us crooks and liars and rubber-stampers. That doesn't bother me. I laugh that off. He's perfectly within his rights....But when he crosses over to making threats, given with Newtown and everything else, that's just a bit too far," McCarthy said. "So he (the officer) said he would reach out to Mr. Hickey and just make it clear to him that sort of phraseology is not helpful."

DeCrecenzo says residents are encouraged to give opinions during public comment. Often, public input sessions go for an hour, and angry tirades are nothing new. But, he added, the council won't tolerate threatening language at meetings.

"I took the initiative to make sure it doesn't happen again," he said.

Hickey, who speaks at most council meetings, said he's frustrated and feels council members don't listen and didn't mean the phrase as a physical threat.

"I don't even own a gun. I come from old school. You want to sit there and not do the right thing, then I'm coming out with both barrels blazing, and if that upset them, time for them to grow up. I'm 62. I come from the same era they do," Hickey said. "It's nothing but them trying to shut me down. It's not going to happen with me. It's nothing more than a phrase."

McCarthy also questioned why council member Nancy Rossi tipped off Hickey about being on the lien list but didn't do the same for other residents. Rossi said she called him after seeing the lien list because Hickey had previously talked about being on the document, adding, "If others had come before us, I would have done the same thing. They (the list's names) should be looked at and checked before being given to us."

As for Hickey's phrasing in his comment, Rossi said she didn't take it as a threat and that concerned council members should have called for a caucus to discuss the issue and see if others felt similar before getting police involved.

"I understand there's lots going on today and people are worried, but you've got to make sure something is not taken out of context," Rossi added.